Hinduism
Developed systems of Hindu practices
Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God and sometimes also seeking blessings from Devas. Therefore, Hinduism has developed numerous practices meant to help one think of divinity in the midst of everyday life. Hindus can engage in puja (worship or veneration), either at home or at a temple.
At home, Hindus often create a shrine with icons dedicated to their chosen form(s) of God. Temples are usually dedicated to a primary deity along with associated subordinate deities though some commemorate multiple deities. Visiting temples is not obligatory, and many visit temples only during religious festivals. Hindus perform their worship through icons (murtis). The icon serves as a tangible link between the worshiper and God.
The image is often considered a manifestation of God, simce God is imminent. The Padma Purana states that the murti is not to be thought of as mere stone or wood but as a manifest form of the Divinity. A few Hindu sects, such as the Arya Samaj, do not believe in worshiping God through icons.
Cultural traditions
Hinduism has a developed system of symbolism and iconography to represent the sacred in art, architecture, literature and worship. These symbols gain their meaning from the scriptures, mythology, or cultural traditions. The syllale Om (which represents the Parabrahman) and the Swastika sign (which symbolizes auspiciousness) have grown to represent Hinduism itself, while other markings such as tilaka identify a follower of the faith. Hinduism associates many symbols, which include the lotus, chakra and veena, with particular deities.
Chanting style
Mantras are invocations, praise and prayers that through their meaning, sound, and chanting style help a devotee focus the mind on holy thoughts or express devotion to God/the deities. Many devotees perform morning ablutions at the bank of a sacred river while chanting the Gayatri Mantra or Mahamrityunjaya mantras. The epic Mahabharata extols Japa (ritualistic chanting) as the greatest duty in the Kali Yuga (what Hindus believe to be the current age). Many adopt Japa as their primary spiritual practice.
Rituals
The vast majority of Hindus engage in religious rituals on a daily basis. Most Hindus observe religious rituals at home, but observation of rituals greatly vary among regions, villages, and individuals. Devout Hindus perform daily chores such as worshiping at dawn after bathing (usually at a family shrine, and typically includes lighting a lamp and offering foodstuffs before the images of deities), recitation from religious scripts, singing devotional hymns, meditation, chanting mantras, reciting scriptures etc.
A notable feature in religious ritual is the division between purity and pollution. Religious acts presuppose some degree of impurity or defilement for the practitioner, which must be overcome or neutralised before or during ritual procedures. Purification, usually with water, is thus a typical feature of most religious action.
Concept of merit
Other characteristics include a belief in the efficacy of sacrifice and concept of merit, gained through the performance of charity or good works, that will accumulate over time and reduce sufferings in the next world. Vedic rites of fire-oblation (yajna) are now only occasional practices, although they are highly revered in theory.
In Hindu wedding and burial ceremonies, however, the yajna and chanting of Vedic mantras are still the norm.
Life-cycle rituals
The rituals, upacharas, change with time. For instance, in the past few hundred years some rituals, such as sacred dance and music offerings in the standard Sodasa Upacharas set prescribed by the Agama Shastra, were replaced by the offerings of rice and sweets. Occasions like birth, marriage, and death involve what are often elaborate sets of religious customs. In Hinduism, life-cycle rituals include Annaprashan (a baby’s first intake of solid food), Upanayanam (“sacred thread ceremony” undergone by upper-caste children at their initiation into formal education) and Sraddha (ritual of treating people of feasts in the name of the deceased).
For most people in India, the betrothal of the young couple and the exact date and time of the wedding are matters decided by the parents in consultation with astrologers.
On death. Cremation is considered obligatory for all except sanyasis, hijra, and children under five. Cremation is typically performed by wrapping the corpse in cloth and burning it on a pyre.
Source; Wikipedia
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Folk deities and animal sacrifice
Thilaka V. Wijeratnam
Folk deities were actually men and women who had sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others - human beings or animals. In life they were looked upon as demigods and in death they were deities. Monuments and temples built in their names, and festivals held annually. Knowing their taste for food when alive, the simple village folk make and offer food to their taste. If they enjoyed eating meat, the village folk sacrifice a fowls or goat and offer it to the ‘man become god’.
That’s perhaps how animal sacrifice started in the interior villages of Thamil Nadu. Such temples are seldom found among Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Only in a few temples in Sri Lanka folk deities are offered animal flesh - this is village tradition not Hindu tradition. One such folk tale is of the dumb deity’s temple.
It seemed in a small village several kilometres away from Chennai, the people were all of the farming community. The village is “Sinna Koi Pan Kulam”. Almost all houses had cows and calves. The cow herd who tended them has died. At the same time one elderly resident saw a middle aged man sleeping in the travellers rest in the village. When he put him up and asked who he was, the newcomer couldn’t talk. Realising he was dumb, the elder, by signs asked him, if he would tend the cattle. The dumb man agreed.
Daily he would go from house to house, untie the cattle and herd them to the wood to graze. He had a flute. At noon he would play a note and all the cattle would gather under a tamarind tree close to him and lying down keep chewing the cud till it is cool. Then they would step into a small pond close by drink the water and bathe - again they stroll away to graze. At sun set the cowherd would play another note. The cattle will collect under the tree. He would bring them back to the village.
Life went on smoothly for the cowherd, the cattle and the villagers.
One day while the cattle rested under the tree, the dumb man dozed. As it by intimation, he woke up with a start. He was horrified to see a cobra about to strikes one of the cows. He at once rushed there and held the snake by its neck. Angered, the snake wriggled struck him. But still keeping his hold on its neck, he lost consciousness and finally embraced death. The cows stood around him with tears in their eyes.
Long after sun set, finding the cattle were not brought back, the village folk came with lanterns to see him dead and the cows standing round him with tears in the eyes. He still held the snake which had also died. “Here’s a man who sacrificed his life to save our cattle” exclaimed the people.
They buried him then and there. They thought there should be something divine in him to give up his life for the cattle. Soon he was deified as the “oomar samy” - dumb deity-they built a temple for him as the guardian angel of the cattle.
Source: Kalani Ooran / Courtesy: Kalki Pongal Issue
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Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar:
The lord, myths, legends and traditions
Shanmugam Arumugam
Continued from February 19
Poets, priests, kings and emperors for a long time afterwards established and retained the sanctity of this holy sthalam by erecting temples and noble edifices for worship - for, was it not here that the Lord long to appear in person and thus take abode? The event is narrated in the Vishnu Puranas:
Attempts
“Indra, the Chief of the Devas who were fast depleting due to casualties in their war against the Avunar, approached Brahma and besought Vishnu’s aid for obtaining Amirtha” the elixir of long-life and the beverage of immortality. The elixir which was obtained after some preliminary unsuccessful attempts at churning the depths of the milky ocean, was shared among the Devas.
An Avunan too had however managed to obtain a share by imposition and his head was promptly cut off at the neck by Vishnu, but it was too late. The elixir had been swallowed by the Avunan, and he therefore cannot die.
Reached Lanka
The miserable pittance of the head without the body and the body without the head was relieved, by these being made into Rahu and Kethu and given a place in the planetary system. Kethu, however, in order to propitiate his sin wandered from place to place and ultimately reached the shores of Lanka where he performed very austere and severe penances and thapas in the name of the Lord. Ultimately He was blessed with the Lord’s Grace and Dharshan and in commemoration of that event, the place became to be known forever as Thiru Ketheeswaram.
Charles Pridham, the celebrated historian, describes the event in his book on Ceylon, under the title “celebrated churning of the ocean by the Gods and Asuras in order to produce Amirta, the Liquor of Immortality.” “One Asura sat among the Gods and thus obtained a share of the precious drink. The Sun and the Moon observed this and pointed him out to... who promptly cut his head; but the magic liquor had already conferred immortality on him.
Traditional custom
“Brahma transformed him into two heavenly bodies. The tail or body became a comet and the head a planet sign called Rahu.”. Another legend is found in the Skanda Purana, an ancient work in Sanskrit, the antiquity of which is unknown. It consists of 2500 verses grouped into 27 Chapters and had been handed down in accordance with the traditional custom as oral discourses by the Guru to his disciples in this case by Sootha Munivar to the Naimisaraniya Munivars.
Of particular interest to us are three Chapters of the Skanda Purana which have been given the title of “Dhakshana Kailasa Manmiam” and deals with historical events in ancient Ceylon.
The first chapter narrates about Puranas in general and the splendour that was of ancient Ceylon; the second chapter relates about the celebrated places of religious importance in Ceylon and the story of Thiruketheeswaram. In this chapter is narrated the incident of how, at one time long ago, the God of Wind (Vayu Bhagavan), uprooted the three towers of the great mountain (Maha Meru) in order to keep off Athichedan who fought against him and who was obstructing the great mountain by thousands of adorned summits resembling serpents’ heads and deposited one of these towers at Thiruketheeswaram. The Lord established Himself there, at Thiruketheeswaram.
According to the Manmiam, Thiruketheeswaram along with Koneswaram are two of the nine most sacred sthalams of the Hindus. The other seven are in India.
Sanmugam Arumugam (1905) hails from an orthodox Hindu family in Nallur, Jaffna.
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Mystic poets and Hinduism
K S Sivakumaran
Poetry gives inspiration. Most Hindu thoughts are embedded in verses. The mystics among the Hindus expressed their super consciousness in short poems which came to them spontaneously. Some of them are difficult to understand. One common factor in all these men was that they break themselves, free from organized religions and rituals. They sought communion with nature and acquired a keen sense of perception. They traced God in everything and reported their findings in unmistakable terms. They had a direct vision. They did not depend upon reason. We know so little.
Think of the immensity of space and the myriads of sun and the number of planets circling around the sun - the variety of beings living in them, the Gods, religions and philosophies they might have. Science has widened our vision but not to that extent the mystics see. Think of the charms of solitude, mountain caves and deep forest glades when craving for wealth or fame.
The mystics saw God in everything and everywhere and felt that they have no separate existence except Him. They saw only ONE when we see many. Our presumptions are ridiculous. We are only worms. Yet we think of our pride. With only five senses and an ounce of intellect we presume that we have read God’s plans. We don’t realize that God is immeasurable.
Of course we are definitely superior to lower beings which are endowed with only one or two or three or four senses. By the same logic the mystics might have developed intuition reaping into inspiration. In the search of evolution we are only a link.
This ideal will not be acceptable to the practical people of the world. Why? Because it destroys our bloated Ego. We have our own plans conceived in selfishness.
Instead of seeing God in everything we see the Devil. That is why we are destroying our own kind. Reason is tottering on our throne and world is turning into a lunatic asylum.
On the other hand if this ideal is accepted this very world becomes a paradise. We can live in peace and also allow others to the right to live in God’s kingdom.
This had been preached in the past and will be preached in the future. But only those who are free from desire will understand it. The rest will continue to pursue this mad pursuit.
God is the greatest of poets. This universe is his poem coming in verses and rhymes and rhythms. Remember Alexander Pope’s poem on man?
The lines echoes and reaches the sentiments of the Hindu Mystics... For instance, Pope felt: “All men parts of One stupendous Whole whose body nature is; and God the Soul.” That is Hinduism summarized in two lines.
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Scriptures in Hinduism
Hinduism is based on “the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times”. The scriptures were transmitted orally in verse form to aid memorization, for many centuries before they were written down.
God Vishnu
Radha and Krikshna
Over many centuries, sages refined the teachings and expanded the canon. In post-Vedic and current Hindu belief, most Hindu scriptures are not typically interpreted literally. More importance is attached to the ethics and metaphorical meanings derived from them. Most sacred texts are in Sanskrit. The texts are classified into two classes: Shruti and Smriti.
Shruti
Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas, which form the earliest record of the Hindu scriptures. While many Hindus revere the Vedas as eternal truths revealed to ancient sages , some devotees do not associate the creation of the Vedas with a god or person. They are thought of as the laws of the spiritual world, which would still exist even if they were not revealed to the sages.
Hindus believe that because the spiritual truths of the Vedas are eternal, they continue to be expressed in new ways. There are four Vedas. The Rigveda is the first and most important Veda. Each Veda is divided into four parts: the primary one, the Veda proper, being the Sanhita, which contains sacred mantras.
The other three parts form a three-tier ensemble of commentaries, usually in prose and are believed to be slightly later in age than the Sanhita. These are: the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and the Upanishads.
The first two parts were subsequently called the Karmakana (ritualistic portion), while the last two form the Jnanakanna (knowledge portion). While the Vedas focus on rituals, the Upanishads focus on spiritual insight and philosophical teachings, and discuss Brahman and reincarnation.
Smritis
Hindu texts other than the Shrutis are collectively called the Smritis (memory). The most notable of the Smritis are the epics, which consist of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
The Bhagavad Gita is an integral part of the Mahabharata and one of the most popular sacred texts of Hinduism.
It contains philosophical teachings from Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, told to the prince Arjuna on the eve of a great war. The Bhagavad Gita, spoken by Krishna, is described as the essence of the Vedas. However Gita, sometimes called Gitopanishad, is more often placed in the Shruti, category, being Upanishadic in content.
The Smritis also include the Puranas, which illustrate Hindu ideas through vivid narratives. There are texts with a sectarian nature such as Devi Mahatmya, the Tantras, the Yoga Sutras, Tirumantiram, Shiva Sutras and the Hindu Agamas. A more controversial text, the Manusmriti, is a prescriptive lawbook which emptomizes the societal codes of the caste system.
Source: Wikipedia
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Hinduism....!!!
Hinduism
Swami Vivekananda:
A prince of patriots
Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar
Swami Vivekananda whose birth anniversary fell last month was a unique personality in the history of religion. In an all-too brief life of 39 years, he traversed the entire gamut of spiritual experience by his Saddhanas and confirmed by his own personal testimony the profound truths enshrined in all religions.
Swami Vivekananda once said that before flooding India with socialistic and political ideas, they should first deluge the land with spiritual ideas. He felt deeply persuaded about the universal message of India’s spirituality blazedforth by the contemplative seers and thinkers. He was agonised at the poverty, superstition, violence, disunity and other evils in India and he wanted to eradicate them.
He saw that a sound religions which satisfied the demands of realism and the needs of humanity can getright the world. He found that message not in the theoretical but in the practical Vedanta. The carried that message to the world.
It was a great day for Hinduism when in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893, the bell-like voice of Swami Vivekananda’s speech made an imperishable impression in the west.
Swami Vivekananda caught the attention of the American press on the first day of parliament with his graceful presence, dignified apparel and large lustrous eyes like arks of fire. His roaring words of brothers and sisters of America made him all who heard him their masks.
Rooted in the past and full of pride in India’s prestige, Swami Vivekananda was yet modern in his approach to life’s problems. He wanted to combine western progress with India’s spiritual background. He defended the values and virtues of his faiths and opened the eyes of the Hindus to the glories of their heritage. As a loyal son of India Swami Vivekananda threw out a challenge and vindicated her cause in the forum of the world.
To Swami Vivekananda, religion was the manifestation of perfection in every human being. To him service to humanity meant service to God. He heralded the dawn of a new era in human civilization by worshipping the living God, that is Man. By that he brought the whole world so near, made it so pleasant a family bound in a fraternal tie.
Universal love was the core of the religion of Man, Vivekananda said.
At first we think of a personal God and call him creato, ompnipoent omniscient and soforth. But, when love comes, God is only love. He further observed, Love is the ideal, Love is the culmination.
Swami Vivekananda’s tender heart bled for the teeming poor millions. He preferred serving that unfortunate lot and came in close touch with the masses of India.
He inspired the whole of India, touching the whole country from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari, and everywhere emphatically said the same thing.
His image of India mirrored the deep love, the vision and wisdom of the spiritual guru of millions. It also ranked him as a prophet of New India.
He once said that India would be raised not with the power of the flesh, but with power of the spirit, not with the flag destruction but with the flag of peace and love, the garb of the Sannyasin, not by the power of wealth, but by the power of the begging bowl. Talking about the great role of Swami Vivekananda, the former President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan once said: “It is not merely the people of India that require Vivekananda’s message. The whole world today is passing through a crucible of doubt. Everywhere there is conflict between faith and doubt, conviction on one side and the lack of conviction on the other. Throughout the world people are having these problems.
The problems are testing man’s faith and if they are to get over all the present crises and lift the world to a belts sphere, it is essential for them to adopt religions as a human transformation, resulting in social transformation”.
As a prince of patriots Swami Vivekananda insisted on Character-building, on discipline, on strength of mind, physical and spiritual.
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Thiruketheeswaram temple in Mannar:
The Lord - myths, legends and traditions
Sanmugam Arumugam
Thiruketheeswaram is situated in Mantai, Mannar District. The most ancient and largest Shiva Lingam in Sri Lanka is at Thiruketheeswaram, the sacred place where Kethu Bhagavan was blessed with the vision of Lord Parameshwara. The origins of ancient places are usually steeped in hoary antiquity, in eras of millenniums of years. Same is the case of Thiruketheeswaram.
The beginnings of this venerable location (Sthala) and how it became to be known as Thiruketheeswaram is shrouded in myths and legends. In the ancient days, memorable events were narrated as discourses which were orally communicated by Rishis and Manivars (learned and inspired personages) to their disciples, who in turn imparted them to others, etc., and who did likewise in their turn.
The origin of most puranic legends bear thus:- “The Supreme One enabled Nandi Devar to exemplify the Vedas by means of Puranas to those unable to understand the Vedas. Nandi Devar accordingly recited them to Sanat Kumar Munivar who in turn imparted them to Vyasa Munivar from whom Sootha Maha Munivar obtained them and delivered the knowledge to his Mini disciples”.
Concerning sacred Thiruketheeswaram puranic legends narrate the immortal story of Kethu Bhagavan performing thapas beseeching the benign dharshan of the Supreme One; Lord Iswara, for the ablution of his sins at this site; this spot eight miles north of Mannar, thus becomes sanctified forever, to be known as Thiru-Kethu-Iswaram or Thiruketheeswaram.
Poets, priests, kings and emperors for a long time afterwards established and retained the sanctity of this holy sthalam by erecting temples and noble edifices for worship - for, was it not here that the Lord long to appear in person and thus take abode?
To be continued
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Developed systems of Hindu practices
Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God and sometimes also seeking blessings from Devas. Therefore, Hinduism has developed numerous practices meant to help one think of divinity in the midst of everyday life. Hindus can engage in puja (worship or veneration), either at home or at a temple.
At home, Hindus often create a shrine with icons dedicated to their chosen form(s) of God. Temples are usually dedicated to a primary deity along with associated subordinate deities though some commemorate multiple deities. Visiting temples is not obligatory, and many visit temples only during religious festivals. Hindus perform their worship through icons (murtis). The icon serves as a tangible link between the worshiper and God.
The image is often considered a manifestation of God, simce God is imminent. The Padma Purana states that the murti is not to be thought of as mere stone or wood but as a manifest form of the Divinity. A few Hindu sects, such as the Arya Samaj, do not believe in worshiping God through icons.
Cultural traditions
Hinduism has a developed system of symbolism and iconography to represent the sacred in art, architecture, literature and worship. These symbols gain their meaning from the scriptures, mythology, or cultural traditions. The syllale Om (which represents the Parabrahman) and the Swastika sign (which symbolizes auspiciousness) have grown to represent Hinduism itself, while other markings such as tilaka identify a follower of the faith. Hinduism associates many symbols, which include the lotus, chakra and veena, with particular deities.
Mantras are invocations, praise and prayers that through their meaning, sound, and chanting style help a devotee focus the mind on holy thoughts or express devotion to God/the deities. Many devotees perform morning ablutions at the bank of a sacred river while chanting the Gayatri Mantra or Mahamrityunjaya mantras. The epic Mahabharata extols Japa (ritualistic chanting) as the greatest duty in the Kali Yuga (what Hindus believe to be the current age). Many adopt Japa as their primary spiritual practice.
Rituals
The vast majority of Hindus engage in religious rituals on a daily basis. Most Hindus observe religious rituals at home, but observation of rituals greatly vary among regions, villages, and individuals. Devout Hindus perform daily chores such as worshiping at dawn after bathing (usually at a family shrine, and typically includes lighting a lamp and offering foodstuffs before the images of deities), recitation from religious scripts, singing devotional hymns, meditation, chanting mantras, reciting scriptures etc. A notable feature in religious ritual is the division between purity and pollution. Religious acts presuppose some degree of impurity or defilement for the practitioner, which must be overcome or neutralised before or during ritual procedures. Purification, usually with water, is thus a typical feature of most religious action.
Concept of merit
Other characteristics include a belief in the efficacy of sacrifice and concept of merit, gained through the performance of charity or good works, that will accumulate over time and reduce sufferings in the next world. Vedic rites of fire-oblation (yajna) are now only occasional practices, although they are highly revered in theory.
In Hindu wedding and burial ceremonies, however, the yajna and chanting of Vedic mantras are still the norm. The rituals, upacharas, change with time. For instance, in the past few hundred years some rituals, such as sacred dance and music offerings in the standard Sodasa Upacharas set prescribed by the Agama Shastra, were replaced by the offerings of rice and sweets.
Life-cycle rituals
Occasions like birth, marriage, and death involve what are often elaborate sets of religious customs. In Hinduism, life-cycle rituals include Annaprashan (a baby’s first intake of solid food), Upanayanam (“sacred thread ceremony” undergone by upper-caste children at their initiation into formal education) and Sraddha (ritual of treating people of feasts in the name of the deceased). For most people in India, the betrothal of the young couple and the exact date and time of the wedding are matters decided by the parents in consultation with astrologers. On death. Cremation is considered obligatory for all except sanyasis, hijra, and children under five. Cremation is typically performed by wrapping the corpse in cloth and burning it on a pyre.
Source; Wikipedia
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Aathma and law of karma in Hinduism
K.S. Sivakumaran
A Hindu sometimes may think that he was never created. He has no beginning and he has no end. The reason for this attitude is simple: What was created could also be destroyed and he does not like the idea of ending his life in the grave.
But one may ask: What about Brahma who is eternally creating? What about Vishnu who is always protecting? And what about Rudra (Siva) whose only work appears to be destroying? Yes, it is true that they could no doubt create, preserve and destroy everything - but not the Aathma or Soul. Aathma is beyond their reach.
Immortal
Man does not believe in his heart of hearts that everything is over when the heart stops working. Why? it is because Aathma is immortal and that it could never die. Having said this I would like to clear certain misconceptions regarding the Law of Karma which is one of the fundamental concepts of the Hindu mind.
Of course orthodox Hindus might object my points of view. The first objection may be on these lines. Law of Karma is an ancient Hindu concept. Its laws are not applicable to everybody, particularly to people in modern times.
Does it matter who discovered it first? In fact Karma is a discovery of an existing law and it is not a new invention made for a purpose. Merely because the Hindu discovered it first it doesn’t mean that it is a Hindu Law. It’s like this - the law of gravity is not Newton’s law, because Newton only discovered an existing law. He was not originating it. Similarly it applies to the law discovered in ancient times. It does not cease operating merely because our moral standards have fallen in modern times. We try to forget the law and the consequences of ignoring it.
Free to choose
The second objection is that it makes freedom of will impossibility. The answer is that if ‘free will’ is not taken for granted there is no place for the Law of Karma. Because one is free to choose between alternatives at all times that one is held responsible for the results.
Even the so-called ‘free will’, one may argue, has been predestined. Yes. We are responsible for that too. The ‘free will’ works for good or bad according to one’s own character and this character is one’s own making. What we sow we reap.
Right-path
If our character is bad our ‘free will’ would naturally lead us to do wrong things. We can see this law working in every day life. - The good men choosing always the right paths and the bad men following the criminal ways to achieve their selfish ends.
The third objection I can see is that environments and heredity mould a man’s life and not his Karma. Yes, they afford the facilities but man could mar or make his life by using his ‘free will’. This again is seen in our daily life - in every nation with all the facilities they ruin themselves. It only shows that every act is self determined and cannot be compelled by outside influences. No power on earth can make you think and decide as it wants. Outside pressure might make you to act against your ‘free will’ but it cannot kill your’ free will’.
It is for this reason that that the intention of your action is looked into when your actions are reviewed in a court of law.
The fourth objection is that in this interminable series of cause and effect why the merciful God and why He allowed this cruel law to operate causing miseries at every turn.
Confined
Man is confined within space and time and as long as he is limited by these he will be also subject to cause and effect. God provided the worlds: the physical, mental and spiritual.
Man is like a child playing in the seashore collecting shells, building houses of sand and digging holes for the purpose of draining the vast ocean into them. The child has forgotten the mother and is fully absorbed with its playthings and multicolored shells. A time would come when the child is tired of its play and cry out for its mother who is watching the child all the time unrecognized.
Similarly man by experience would be able to discriminate between the real and the unreal, permanent and temporary, spiritual and material and renounce everything both good and bad and their results.
When he ascends to that pure spiritual atmosphere the Law of Karma ceases to operate and he becomes free which is the one goal of the Hindu -Liberation.
The Law of Karma or Cause and effect is a universal one operating in the physical and mental worlds. No one can escape it. All religions are based on that principle.
Man can make his own destiny and this law provides all facilities for that purpose at all times.
dailynews.lk
Swami Vivekananda:
A prince of patriots
Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar
Swami Vivekananda whose birth anniversary fell last month was a unique personality in the history of religion. In an all-too brief life of 39 years, he traversed the entire gamut of spiritual experience by his Saddhanas and confirmed by his own personal testimony the profound truths enshrined in all religions.
Swami Vivekananda once said that before flooding India with socialistic and political ideas, they should first deluge the land with spiritual ideas. He felt deeply persuaded about the universal message of India’s spirituality blazedforth by the contemplative seers and thinkers. He was agonised at the poverty, superstition, violence, disunity and other evils in India and he wanted to eradicate them.
He saw that a sound religions which satisfied the demands of realism and the needs of humanity can getright the world. He found that message not in the theoretical but in the practical Vedanta. The carried that message to the world.
It was a great day for Hinduism when in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893, the bell-like voice of Swami Vivekananda’s speech made an imperishable impression in the west.
Swami Vivekananda caught the attention of the American press on the first day of parliament with his graceful presence, dignified apparel and large lustrous eyes like arks of fire. His roaring words of brothers and sisters of America made him all who heard him their masks.
Rooted in the past and full of pride in India’s prestige, Swami Vivekananda was yet modern in his approach to life’s problems. He wanted to combine western progress with India’s spiritual background. He defended the values and virtues of his faiths and opened the eyes of the Hindus to the glories of their heritage. As a loyal son of India Swami Vivekananda threw out a challenge and vindicated her cause in the forum of the world.
To Swami Vivekananda, religion was the manifestation of perfection in every human being. To him service to humanity meant service to God. He heralded the dawn of a new era in human civilization by worshipping the living God, that is Man. By that he brought the whole world so near, made it so pleasant a family bound in a fraternal tie.
Universal love was the core of the religion of Man, Vivekananda said.
At first we think of a personal God and call him creato, ompnipoent omniscient and soforth. But, when love comes, God is only love. He further observed, Love is the ideal, Love is the culmination.
Swami Vivekananda’s tender heart bled for the teeming poor millions. He preferred serving that unfortunate lot and came in close touch with the masses of India.
He inspired the whole of India, touching the whole country from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari, and everywhere emphatically said the same thing.
His image of India mirrored the deep love, the vision and wisdom of the spiritual guru of millions. It also ranked him as a prophet of New India.
He once said that India would be raised not with the power of the flesh, but with power of the spirit, not with the flag destruction but with the flag of peace and love, the garb of the Sannyasin, not by the power of wealth, but by the power of the begging bowl. Talking about the great role of Swami Vivekananda, the former President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan once said: “It is not merely the people of India that require Vivekananda’s message. The whole world today is passing through a crucible of doubt. Everywhere there is conflict between faith and doubt, conviction on one side and the lack of conviction on the other. Throughout the world people are having these problems.
The problems are testing man’s faith and if they are to get over all the present crises and lift the world to a belts sphere, it is essential for them to adopt religions as a human transformation, resulting in social transformation”.
As a prince of patriots Swami Vivekananda insisted on Character-building, on discipline, on strength of mind, physical and spiritual.
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Thiruketheeswaram temple in Mannar:
The Lord - myths, legends and traditions
Sanmugam Arumugam
Thiruketheeswaram is situated in Mantai, Mannar District. The most ancient and largest Shiva Lingam in Sri Lanka is at Thiruketheeswaram, the sacred place where Kethu Bhagavan was blessed with the vision of Lord Parameshwara. The origins of ancient places are usually steeped in hoary antiquity, in eras of millenniums of years. Same is the case of Thiruketheeswaram.
The beginnings of this venerable location (Sthala) and how it became to be known as Thiruketheeswaram is shrouded in myths and legends. In the ancient days, memorable events were narrated as discourses which were orally communicated by Rishis and Manivars (learned and inspired personages) to their disciples, who in turn imparted them to others, etc., and who did likewise in their turn.
The origin of most puranic legends bear thus:- “The Supreme One enabled Nandi Devar to exemplify the Vedas by means of Puranas to those unable to understand the Vedas. Nandi Devar accordingly recited them to Sanat Kumar Munivar who in turn imparted them to Vyasa Munivar from whom Sootha Maha Munivar obtained them and delivered the knowledge to his Mini disciples”.
Concerning sacred Thiruketheeswaram puranic legends narrate the immortal story of Kethu Bhagavan performing thapas beseeching the benign dharshan of the Supreme One; Lord Iswara, for the ablution of his sins at this site; this spot eight miles north of Mannar, thus becomes sanctified forever, to be known as Thiru-Kethu-Iswaram or Thiruketheeswaram.
Poets, priests, kings and emperors for a long time afterwards established and retained the sanctity of this holy sthalam by erecting temples and noble edifices for worship - for, was it not here that the Lord long to appear in person and thus take abode?
To be continued
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Developed systems of Hindu practices
Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God and sometimes also seeking blessings from Devas. Therefore, Hinduism has developed numerous practices meant to help one think of divinity in the midst of everyday life. Hindus can engage in puja (worship or veneration), either at home or at a temple.
At home, Hindus often create a shrine with icons dedicated to their chosen form(s) of God. Temples are usually dedicated to a primary deity along with associated subordinate deities though some commemorate multiple deities. Visiting temples is not obligatory, and many visit temples only during religious festivals. Hindus perform their worship through icons (murtis). The icon serves as a tangible link between the worshiper and God.
The image is often considered a manifestation of God, simce God is imminent. The Padma Purana states that the murti is not to be thought of as mere stone or wood but as a manifest form of the Divinity. A few Hindu sects, such as the Arya Samaj, do not believe in worshiping God through icons.
Cultural traditions
Hinduism has a developed system of symbolism and iconography to represent the sacred in art, architecture, literature and worship. These symbols gain their meaning from the scriptures, mythology, or cultural traditions. The syllale Om (which represents the Parabrahman) and the Swastika sign (which symbolizes auspiciousness) have grown to represent Hinduism itself, while other markings such as tilaka identify a follower of the faith. Hinduism associates many symbols, which include the lotus, chakra and veena, with particular deities.
Mantras are invocations, praise and prayers that through their meaning, sound, and chanting style help a devotee focus the mind on holy thoughts or express devotion to God/the deities. Many devotees perform morning ablutions at the bank of a sacred river while chanting the Gayatri Mantra or Mahamrityunjaya mantras. The epic Mahabharata extols Japa (ritualistic chanting) as the greatest duty in the Kali Yuga (what Hindus believe to be the current age). Many adopt Japa as their primary spiritual practice.
Rituals
The vast majority of Hindus engage in religious rituals on a daily basis. Most Hindus observe religious rituals at home, but observation of rituals greatly vary among regions, villages, and individuals. Devout Hindus perform daily chores such as worshiping at dawn after bathing (usually at a family shrine, and typically includes lighting a lamp and offering foodstuffs before the images of deities), recitation from religious scripts, singing devotional hymns, meditation, chanting mantras, reciting scriptures etc. A notable feature in religious ritual is the division between purity and pollution. Religious acts presuppose some degree of impurity or defilement for the practitioner, which must be overcome or neutralised before or during ritual procedures. Purification, usually with water, is thus a typical feature of most religious action.
Concept of merit
Other characteristics include a belief in the efficacy of sacrifice and concept of merit, gained through the performance of charity or good works, that will accumulate over time and reduce sufferings in the next world. Vedic rites of fire-oblation (yajna) are now only occasional practices, although they are highly revered in theory.
In Hindu wedding and burial ceremonies, however, the yajna and chanting of Vedic mantras are still the norm. The rituals, upacharas, change with time. For instance, in the past few hundred years some rituals, such as sacred dance and music offerings in the standard Sodasa Upacharas set prescribed by the Agama Shastra, were replaced by the offerings of rice and sweets.
Life-cycle rituals
Occasions like birth, marriage, and death involve what are often elaborate sets of religious customs. In Hinduism, life-cycle rituals include Annaprashan (a baby’s first intake of solid food), Upanayanam (“sacred thread ceremony” undergone by upper-caste children at their initiation into formal education) and Sraddha (ritual of treating people of feasts in the name of the deceased). For most people in India, the betrothal of the young couple and the exact date and time of the wedding are matters decided by the parents in consultation with astrologers. On death. Cremation is considered obligatory for all except sanyasis, hijra, and children under five. Cremation is typically performed by wrapping the corpse in cloth and burning it on a pyre.
Source; Wikipedia
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Aathma and law of karma in Hinduism
K.S. Sivakumaran
A Hindu sometimes may think that he was never created. He has no beginning and he has no end. The reason for this attitude is simple: What was created could also be destroyed and he does not like the idea of ending his life in the grave.
But one may ask: What about Brahma who is eternally creating? What about Vishnu who is always protecting? And what about Rudra (Siva) whose only work appears to be destroying? Yes, it is true that they could no doubt create, preserve and destroy everything - but not the Aathma or Soul. Aathma is beyond their reach.
Immortal
Man does not believe in his heart of hearts that everything is over when the heart stops working. Why? it is because Aathma is immortal and that it could never die. Having said this I would like to clear certain misconceptions regarding the Law of Karma which is one of the fundamental concepts of the Hindu mind.
Of course orthodox Hindus might object my points of view. The first objection may be on these lines. Law of Karma is an ancient Hindu concept. Its laws are not applicable to everybody, particularly to people in modern times.
Does it matter who discovered it first? In fact Karma is a discovery of an existing law and it is not a new invention made for a purpose. Merely because the Hindu discovered it first it doesn’t mean that it is a Hindu Law. It’s like this - the law of gravity is not Newton’s law, because Newton only discovered an existing law. He was not originating it. Similarly it applies to the law discovered in ancient times. It does not cease operating merely because our moral standards have fallen in modern times. We try to forget the law and the consequences of ignoring it.
Free to choose
The second objection is that it makes freedom of will impossibility. The answer is that if ‘free will’ is not taken for granted there is no place for the Law of Karma. Because one is free to choose between alternatives at all times that one is held responsible for the results.
Even the so-called ‘free will’, one may argue, has been predestined. Yes. We are responsible for that too. The ‘free will’ works for good or bad according to one’s own character and this character is one’s own making. What we sow we reap.
Right-path
If our character is bad our ‘free will’ would naturally lead us to do wrong things. We can see this law working in every day life. - The good men choosing always the right paths and the bad men following the criminal ways to achieve their selfish ends.
The third objection I can see is that environments and heredity mould a man’s life and not his Karma. Yes, they afford the facilities but man could mar or make his life by using his ‘free will’. This again is seen in our daily life - in every nation with all the facilities they ruin themselves. It only shows that every act is self determined and cannot be compelled by outside influences. No power on earth can make you think and decide as it wants. Outside pressure might make you to act against your ‘free will’ but it cannot kill your’ free will’.
It is for this reason that that the intention of your action is looked into when your actions are reviewed in a court of law.
The fourth objection is that in this interminable series of cause and effect why the merciful God and why He allowed this cruel law to operate causing miseries at every turn.
Confined
Man is confined within space and time and as long as he is limited by these he will be also subject to cause and effect. God provided the worlds: the physical, mental and spiritual.
Man is like a child playing in the seashore collecting shells, building houses of sand and digging holes for the purpose of draining the vast ocean into them. The child has forgotten the mother and is fully absorbed with its playthings and multicolored shells. A time would come when the child is tired of its play and cry out for its mother who is watching the child all the time unrecognized.
Similarly man by experience would be able to discriminate between the real and the unreal, permanent and temporary, spiritual and material and renounce everything both good and bad and their results.
When he ascends to that pure spiritual atmosphere the Law of Karma ceases to operate and he becomes free which is the one goal of the Hindu -Liberation.
The Law of Karma or Cause and effect is a universal one operating in the physical and mental worlds. No one can escape it. All religions are based on that principle.
Man can make his own destiny and this law provides all facilities for that purpose at all times.
dailynews.lk
Monday, February 15, 2010
‘What bigger gift can one generation pass to another than a school’ - a temple of learning...?
Hindu College, Colombo :
Temple of learning
Gift out of a challenge accepted with fortitude:
Kandiah Neelakandan
Twenty four leaders of the Hindu Community in Colombo formed themselves into a society under the name ‘Hindu Educational Society’ with a view to take meaningful steps to facilitate the Hindu students in the city having their education in their own religious and cultural background.
Hindu College, Colombo. Courtesy: Internet
That significant assembly of those great men of vision and foresight was held in Colombo on February 5, 1951 under the chairmanship of Hon. Justice Chellappah Nagalingam K.C. who later became the head of the Judiciary of this country as an acting appointment as the Chief Justice.
Having recorded the noteworthy contribution of the Founders of the Society, one of them recorded as follows:
‘What bigger gift can one generation pass to another than a school’ - a temple of learning?
It was a gift that did not come easily. It was a gift that arose out of a challenge - a challenge that faced the Tamils in Colombo and the Hindu community in particular, when numerous children and parents knocked at the gates of many a school in Colombo and were turned away.
They had to face a question ‘We have no room for children of other denominations. Why don’t you people have your own school?’ This attitude was expressed quite openly. One could not possibly blame them. It was anyway a big challenge. As one who has been associated with the activities of the Hindu Educational Society from its inception I am glad to record that the Tamil Hindu Community in Colombo accepted the challenge with fortitude.
Birth of the school
On February 12, 1951 the Hindu Educational Society (‘HES’) gave birth to this school under the name ‘PILLAYAR PADASALAI’ at Sri Kathiresan Kovil ‘Madam’ only with 48 children.
Leaders
The following 24 Hindu Leaders founded the Hindu Educational Society:-
1. Justice . C. Nagalingam, K.C. (Senior Judge of the Supreme Court)
2. Representative of Trustees of the Sammankoddar Pillaiyar Temple
3. K. Alvapillai, O.B.E., B.A. (Lond.), C.C.S. (Civil Servant)
4. Dr. A. Kandiah, A.R.C.S., D.I.C., Ph.D., D.Sc. (Lond.), A.I.C.
5. M.M. Kulasekaram, B.Sc. (Lond.) (Retired Vice Principal, Royal College)
6. Dr. V. Nadarajah, L.R.C.P. and S. (Edin.), L.R.F.P. and S. (Glas.)
7. C. K. Ratnam, 8. S. Sellamuttu, OBE, (Mayor of Colombo)
9. Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan, Kt. C.B.E., C.C.S., B.Sc.(Lond) (Civil Servant)
10. K.T. Chittampalam, Proctor S.C. and N.P.
11. M.S. Kandiah.
12. S. Mahadevan, (Director, Sterling Products Ltd. - later Maharajah Organisation)
13. Senator Peri Sundaram, M.A., LL.B. (Cantab), Bar-at-Law and Advocate
14. Sankar Iyer Mahadevan,
15. K.C. Thangarajah, (later Chairman Paper Mills Corporation and Eelanadu)
16. R.A. Nadesan, (once Chairman, Express Newspapers Ltd.)
17. S. Somasunderam, O.B.E., J.P. (Proctor and N.P., later President of the Ceylon Law Society, and also later held the office of the President of HES and also of All Ceylon Hindu Congress)
18. Senator S. Nadesan, Advocate
19. M. Kanagasabay, M.INST.T
20. V.A. Kandiah, B.Sc. (London), Advocate (later M.P., for Kayts)
21. A. Subaramaniam, (Director, Mascons Limited)
22. A. Ragunather, B.Sc., (Eng.) A.M.I.E.F.
23. K. Satchithananda, B.Sc.(Lond.), A.C.A. - Chartered Accountant
24. M. Vairamuttu
C. Nagalingam was elected the first President of the HES. Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan and Senator Peri Sunderam were elected Vice-Presidents. S. Mahadevan was the first Secretary and K. Satchithananda the first Treasurer. Messrs S. Somasunderam, M.M. Kulasegaram and A. Ragunather were the other members of the first Board of Governors. R.M. Palaniappa Chettiar, A.N.R.M. Ramasamy Chettiyar, KR. KN.AR.KN. Ramanathar and S.K. Vaiyapuri were the first representatives of the Trustees of Sri Kathiresan Temple to attend the first meeting of the HES. Messrs. M.S. Kandiah and A. Ragunathar were responsible for making the preliminary arrangements.
Initial task
Those 24 founders’ initial task was to find money to launch the school project and their target was to collect Rupees Ten Lakhs. A pamphlet was issued - 10,000 copies in English and 5,000 copies in Tamil - and they said in their appeal issued on February 20, 1951 as follows:- “We have thought it proper to call upon ourselves - 24 founder members of the Hindu Educational Society - to make the initial sacrifice in this great cause.
We felt that we would not be justified in appealing to the public for contributions without first providing tangible proof of our own earnestness to make this big venture a success. Some of the 24 members cannot contribute much, but still we have put up one lakh of rupees, the money required immediately for the establishment of the Primary School.”
Later, Justice C. Nagalingam had this to say on the initial efforts of his colleagues:-
“And so it was that the beginning of the year 1951 saw the formation of the Hindu Educational Society for the sole purpose of establishing a Hindu School, not in a spirit of competition or rivalry with any other institution but to supplement the task of these institutions and to take the overflow from them with which they were unable to cope.
“Through the indefatigable efforts of Proctor Somasunderam, Senator Advocate S. Nadesan and Advocate V.A. Kandiah, the Society was able almost immediately to secure an acre of valuable land in the heart of Colombo situated at Bambalapitiya. That land was placed at the disposal of the Society as a result of the magnificent generosity of Annamalai Mudaliyar, the Managing Director of the Madras Palayakat Co. and his co-directors, who are the trustees of the Shree Kathiravelautha Swamy Temple at First Cross Street and of the Manicka Pillaiyar Temple at Bambalapitiya.”
It is on this leased land the Lorenz Road front portion of the school and Saraswathie Hall now stand. The portion of the land on which the Saraswathie Hall stands was separated by HES before the school was taken over by the Government in 1962, but the College has been given free use of the Hall whenever it required.
In the month of March 1951 the Pillaiyar Padasalai was shifted to the present premises. K. Pathmanathan was the first Principal of the school. T. Sathasivam functioned as the Head Master of the Primary School.
Writing to the Silver Jubilee Souvenir of this school in 1976 K.C. Thangarajah then Secretary of the Hindu Educational Society said:-
“Planning for the future certainly calls for introspection; deep thinking, sound and sober judgement and far-sightedness.
“One cannot of course chart a new course for an institution that has a solid achievement of 25 years behind it and the interest of future generations ahead, without relating to the life of the Community that it serves and the life of the nation as a whole.
“In the case of an individual it may be possible to pull out roots and look for better soil elsewhere.
“But in the case of institutions such as this, representing as it does the trust placed on us by the founders, many of whom are no more with us, our responsibility is greater, men such as Justice C. Nagalingam, S. Mahadevan, Sir Kanthiah Vaithiananthan, Dr. A. Kandiah, M. M. Kulasegaram, K. T. Chittampalam, Senator Peri Sundaram, A. Subramaniam, A.Ragunather, V. A. Kandiah.
“Their memory is sacred to us, and whatever heritage they left behind, has to be safeguarded.”
Upper classes shifted to Ratmalana
The parents and well wishers of the school envisaging a well planned institution and desirous of ensuring an integrated development of the physique and mind of its students decided to acquire land at Ratmalana for expansion.
The land was acquired and foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir John Kotelawala, (Prime Minister) on May 2,1953. Owing to the interest taken and support given by our community led by the HES the majestic buildings which stand there now took shape. Before the completion of the buildings, the post primary students from Bambalapitiya were shifted to Ratmalana in 1955.
During the course of time Bambalapitiya school began to function as primary school and the school with upper classes at Ratmalana as Colombo Hindu College as a post primary school. One principal served as the head of both the institutions.
Management of both schools
The history of the growth of Hindu College Colombo at Bambalapitiya) will be incomplete if we fail to honour the services done by the heads of our school at the initial stages.
It was K. Pathmanathan, the first Principal, who took a keen interest in the development of the school and paved the way for its smooth growth till 1957. (T. Sathasivam was the headmaster of the Primary section). His service was continued by N. Satyendra (Barrister) who functioned as Principal in an honorary capacity in 1958. Following him T. Subramaniam (1959-62) and S. Ambalavanar (1963-67) served as Principals.
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Hindu College, Colombo - Temple of learning - Part II:
Pulling through trying times
Kandiah Neelakandan
In 1954 the Hindu Educational Society raised funds to build an auditorium for the benefit of the school and also of the Hindu community. DKS Brothers were invited from India to perform a drama as a fund raising program. Rs. 83,000.00 was thus raised. Although we may now wonder whether it is worth talking about such a sum that would have been a substantial sum those days. With those funds Saraswathie Hall was built by the HES on a part of the land given on a long lease by the Trustee of Shri Sammangodar Manicka Vinayagar Temple. The Lorenz Road front portion of this school premises was the balance portion leased to the HES by the said Trustee.
As mentioned earlier Colombo Hindu College at Ratmalana was constructed in the years 1953 to 1955.
To build that, some of the founders had given their personal guarantees and mortgages. In fact they first purchased a large estate and blocked them into lots. Having sold some of the lots they took away the burden of the costs of the land. It shows what a sacrifice they were making for their dream to come true and at the same time they used their business acumen for a social benefit. As stated earlier, the upper classes at Bambalapitiya were transferred to Ratmalana in 1955.
In 1958, the school had severe set backs. One was the demise of Justice C. Nagalingam who was the Manager of the school (in the previous year one of the founders and ardent supporters of the school, the philanthropist S. Mahadevan had passed away), the other being the communal riots in that year (1958).
Sivamani Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan who was a well respected Civil Servant who functioned as the Permanent Secretary and the construction of the first flats - Bambalapitiya Flats - is his brainchild, became the Manager of the school in 1959. In 1962 the school was vested in the Government.
New shape and life
It was during the period of service of S. Ambalavanar, the idea of making this school to serve the needs of Hindus on a par with the Colombo Hindu College at Ratmalana took shape.
In 1967, under the stewardship of P. Nalliah, the then Principal, Grade six was started and the school was raised to the status of a junior school. The two institutions which were functioning as one body, began to function as two separate entities from that date.
P. Nalliah gave a new shape and life for the school.
First ever sports meet was held on March 31,1968. First ever prize giving was held on March 28, 1969 with Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake as the Chief Guest.
After the retirement of P. Nalliah in 1970, T. Sangaralingam took over the Principalship of the school from February 1971.
In the N.C.G.E. Examination held for the first time in 1975, ‘76 out of ‘97 students from the school qualified to follow H.N.C.E. classes. This was considered a great achievement. Consequent to this, the school was given the privilege of starting the H.N.C.E. Classes [equivalent to the present GCE (A/L)] from 3rd April 1976.
In July 1972, Dr. P. Udagama, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, participating as the Chief Guest at the Prize Giving said - “Hindu College has been an example not only for the schools in Colombo but also for the other schools in this country.
It is not only the principal and the staff of the school but Parents Association takes keen interest in developing this school - it is really a pleasant surprise.”
In 1975, the colour of the school flag was changed to amber and gold.
Dream of dreamers
These are the words of wisdom expressed in the Administration Report written in 1954 by the late S. Mahadevan (then Secretary):-
“Though we have done a great deal so far with very limited resources the task ahead is of a colossal nature.
Much more determination and courage on the part of the Hindu public is needed for the fulfillment of the task and the Board of Governors is not without hope that the philanthropists will yet arise in our midst to give concrete form and shape to what has been characterised as the ‘Dream of Dreamers’.
This College has played a significant and unique role in the life of our community in Colombo. Whether it is a glorious moment or time of crisis it was the place for our people to turn to.
It had given shelter to those who flocked to it during periods of troubles and given accommodation for students to those who were displaced from their areas. By this ancillary role this temple of learning has been a haven for us in the Metropolis.
Although the Founder Society thought it prudent not to resist the vesting of this school in the Government in 1962, the Parent-Teachers Association and the School Development Society of which some members have been those of the Founder Society continued to develop this college.
While this school served as a centre in many respects for our community even after it became a government school, our community also reciprocated by nurturing the school.
Thus it remained our school for all of us. Parents, well wishers, old boys and teachers made their contributions through the School Development Society and also through School Development Board and the School Development Trust.
The dream of the dreamers was maintained as a reality due to the efforts of a number of dedicated parents and well-wishers who worked tirelessly with the principals to take their sc
hool forward.
The trend set by the forerunners in the PTA and SDS put their successors on the correct track and we owe a duty to remember those great sincere and devoted leaders of our Society. To mention a few names the late K. Visvalingam, Dr K. Velayuthapillai, S. K. Mahesan and S. Patkunam, the latter functioned as the Vice Principal for several years and also as Acting Principal.
He was the live wire of the activities of the school and worked as a catalyst to encourage the parents and the Old Boys’ Association to take an active role.
In early seventies, K. S. Mahesan had functioned as the Secretary of the Parent-Teacher Association which later became the School Development Society (SDS). K. Sivagananathan (well known Banker), Barrister-at-Law K. Nadarajah, Mr. and Mrs. S. Gulasingham, P. Kathiravelu, Prof P. Poologasingham, E. Ratnam, P. Kathiravelu, Mr. and Mrs. V. Kailasapillai, V. Ratnasabapathy (who later became Principal of Sri Lanka Law College) were some of the stalwarts of the SDS. I have already mentioned K. Viswalingam’s role. M. Arunasalam (an officer of the Ministry of Industries), T. Kandasamy who was an officer of the Education Department, K. Ramanathan (of Buildings Department), S. Tharmarajah (of Mascons Limited), and M. Balasubramaniam (Customs Officer), had performed the onerous task of the Secretary of the SDS those days.
Communal riots
Balasubramaniam was succeeded by A. P. Gnanasundaram in June 1986. In June 1987 I had to take the responsibility as the Secretary of the SDS.
Having continued in that position for three years I had to carry the same responsibility for another spell of three years after taking a break of five months in 1990.
The 1983 communal riots caused a temporary set-back to this school. However, due to the courage exhibited in action by the then Principal, T. Sankaralingam with the able assistance of his deputy S. Patkunam, whose efficiency was at par excellence in the time of crisis helped a number of refugees who took shelter in the school.
Dr K. Velauthapillai and A. Visvalingam who were two lieutenants of the SDS are the two names still remembered by those who suffered in time of crisis. Arrangements were made to conduct classes temporarily at R.C.T.M.
School at Bambalapitya for about 400 students who remained in Colombo with 27 teachers who were available. Classes up to 8th standard were held at that school. Arrangements were made to have other classes at Isipathana Maha Vidyalaya. Patkunam worked tirelessly to make those temporary arrangements. In January 1984, the school restarted to work as normal but with about 300 which number arose to 1,000 in a few months and it was the next year 1985 when I began my association with this school as my eldest son had just been admitted.
In June 1985, T. Sangaralingam who was really disappointed with and disgusted by the consequences of the unfortunate communal riots of 1983 went abroad on leave and thereafter retired after serving the school as its principal for several years. T. Sangaralingam is always commended for his services in developing this school.
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Hindu College, Colombo - Temple of learning - Part III:
Services and sacrifices made by founder fathers
Kandiah Neelakandan
Vadamaradchy Operations (Military Action) in the Northern Jaffna in 1987 resulted in a number of families moving from Jaffna to Colombo. Hindu Citizens’ Committee under the leadership of Justice V. Manickavasagar was formed in Colombo.
Hindu College became the centre of activities of the Hindu Citizens’ Committee and helped displaced students from Jaffna. Thus the College continued to play a leading not merely as a school but a leading institution for the community. Thus it went beyond the dreams of the dreamers.
National school
Rajalingam was transferred to the Examination Department on August 31, 1990. V. Sundaramoorthy who was then the Vice-Principal acted as the Principal from October 21, 1990. Thereafter, S. Sri Rajasingham served as the principal for a short period from October 22,1990 to June 30,1991.
Since 1988, the HES, (the Founder Society), the All Ceylon Hindu Congress, the SDS and the Federation of School Development Societies in Tamil schools in W. P. and also M. S. Sellasamy who represented Colombo electorate in the Parliament requested the Government to declare Hindu College as a National School.
Fortieth anniversary for our family
However, it was R.M. Pulendran who ultimately had the school declared as a National School with effect from September 11, 1991.
I wish to place on record that R. M. Pulendran was taking a keen interest in the welfare of the school ever since she assumed office a speaking on behalf of the SDS I had the pleasure of commending her in the presence of her leader, the President, that although she was not blessed with a son she was the Mother for all the boys at Hindu College.
On February 12, 1991 the fortieth anniversary was celebrated starting with special Poojas at Shri Viththaga Vinayagar Kovil in the school.
Fourty well-wishers of the school lit the traditional oil lamp and the well wishers were hosted to a dinner also at Saraswathie Hall.
I had the privilege of addressing the Fortieth Anniversary Prize Giving at which President R. Premadasa was the chief guest. Having traced the history of the school and the sacrifices made by many to develop the school I told the President “It is indeed a great satisfaction for us - the Family of Hindu College - that this school has achieved the objectives for which the founder fathers established this school. Your Excellency, I said - ‘the Family of Hindu College’. Yes, as part of that family I take pride in telling Your Excellency and other distinguished guests that it is that spirit in which we live and develop this school.”
I quoted what Lord Krishna said in Bagavat Gita: “Knowledge, object of Knowledge and the knower are the three factors that motivate action: The senses the worker and the doer are the three constituents of action”.
I thereafter appealed to the President for another block of three-storeyed building. The chief guest readily responded and said that State Education Minister who was earlier described by me, as the Mother for the children of this school would do the needful. Next day the President made the order and that is how we have a President’s Block now. Subsequently with the commencement of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations, Minister A. H. M. Fowzie also responded in the same manner with another block of three-storeyed buildings.
Benefactors
We had many benefactors who came to our rescue whenever we were in need of financial and other material support.
To mention a few among them, the Trustees of Shri Manicka Vinayagar Kovil who leased the front portion of the school land to the Founder Society, Shri Palaniappa Chettiar and his Co-trustees of the old Shri Kathiresan Kovil who gave the land (for the back side of the school) the late K. Gunaratnam, the late A. Subramaniam, the late T. Neethirajah, V. Balasubramaniam of N. A. Vaithialingam & Co., V. Balasubramaniam of Coba Mills and M. Thavayogarajah.
Cultural activities
Giving life to the dreams of the Dreamers students of the college have been given ample opportunities in their religious and cultural activities.
Establishment of the Kovil in 1988 went a long way to influence the religious way of life of the students.
Various cultural societies and teachers have been helpful in assisting students in various cultural activities which have taken them to the height of even winning National awards.
This is a unique advantage the children at this College had when compared with those who have to study in the other schools.
Present principal
The present Principal took over the reins of Hindu College on July 22, 1996.
I will be failing in my duty if I do not expressly acknowledge the dynamic leadership given by the present Principal, T. Muthukumaraswamy. He has an excellent style of management of delegating responsibilities to his staff and coordinating and supervising the same.
Hindu College has earned a good name and reputation largely due to his management skills. Furthermore, his honesty and integrity deserves to be specially mentioned. Those qualities have enabled him to prove to be really an efficient principal. Hindu College is fortunate to have him to lead it.
Let us remember with gratitude the great services and sacrifices made by the founder fathers and our predecessors who have held various offices in the staff, the PTA, the SDS, the SDB, and the OBA and pay homage to all those who are no more with us in the Golden Jubilee year but whose spirit will always bless the College.
I wish to conclude with quoting the Mission of the Hindu College formulated under the leadership of the present Principal:-
The mission of the school is to guide the students in the light of National Educational policies, preserving Tamil as well as Saiva traditions and values, to make them competent, creative, knowledgeable and disciplined citizens in order to face future challenges.
Concluded
The writer is Secretary, Hindu Educational Society
DAILYNEWS.LK
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Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hinduism.....!!!
Hinduism
God omnipresent: Why then temples?
God exists everywhere. So, a question may be asked why there should be any temples built for Him? We know that God exists everywhere, but still the idea does not get firmly established in our mind. It does not get reflected in our daily actions. If one remembers God all the time, how can one utter any falsehood or commit evil acts?
If God is merely omnipresent, how can He help us? We all long for His grace somehow. So, we have to worship Him and get His grace. But the agamasastras tell us how this should be done. The sun’s rays contain a lot of heat energy. If we keep a piece of cloth in the sun, it does not catch fire by itself. But if we place a lens and focus the sun’s heat rays on that piece of cloth, after some time, we find that the cloth catches fire.
System to distribute
Similarly, electrical energy is everywhere, but in order to bring it to our daily use, we need to have generators to channel that energy and transmission systems to distribute it at the places where we need it. In the same way, in order to get the grace of the Omnipresent Lord, we have to build temples, where we can focus the power of the Lord in a consecrated idol for our benefit in an easy way.
So, in our country, we find that there are many temples; of course, in other countries also, there are many places of worship, but there is no question of installation of any idols, as in the case of our temples. They have just a big prayer hall where people assemble and offer some prayers or do some silent meditation and then disperse after getting some peace of mind. But in our temples, the idols are installed and they have divinity infused into them and, as such, they have a certain sanctity about them.
Divine Power
Until a particular day, the sculptor goes on chiselling that piece of stone, but after a certain day, it becomes invested with divinity, and we start performing abhiseka, arcana, dipaharati etc. for that deity; it acquires divine power and it obtains caitanya. We see divinity in our idols and, therefore, we do abhiseka, alankara or decoration, naivedyam, harati and many other upacaras.
Some people say that the places of worship, which belong to other religions, are quiet, but our Hindu temples are full of noise. Of course, this is true. Actually, there are two types of noises in our temples. One is the desirable type of noise such as ringing of bells, the sounding of musical instruments like nadaswaram and the sahnai; the recitation of namavalli archana, recitation of mantras and so on.
Gossip
Of course, there is also the undesirable type of noise in the form of people indulging in idle gossip and purposeless talk. It is our duty to see that this idle talk, which results in undesirable noise, is totally eliminated from our temples. In other places of worship, this type of fanfare that we have in our temples is not there, because they do not recognize idol worship or worship of God in the saguna form and they believe in worship of God in his attributeless and shapeless form only.
In our temple, a huge temple bell is rung at the time of puja. This is done so that the evil spirits may go away from temple premises, and all abuses or other bad sounds may be stifled from being heard. In our houses, we do not have such a huge bell, but we ring only a small bell at the time of puja. But we do not offer musical instruments and other upacaras to the deity, but only aksata or unbroken rice.
Poojas
The puja that we do in our houses in for our own welfare. We do it according to our convenience and, according to our mental frame of mind. But the puja done in the temples is for the while of society and therefor, there is so much of fanfare, and sounding of musical instruments and singing of auspicious tunes; the deity is taken out in a procession during festival days and there is display of fireworks. The reason for quietness and silence in the temples of other religions is this. In other religions, they just have a big prayer hall. People assemble at appointed times, and they offer prayers. they sing some hymns, mentally or in chorus. After that, everything is over, and people disperse. They just close their eyes for a few minutes, pray for some time, get some peace of mind and then disperse. There is no such thing as abhiseka of the idol, alankara or decoration of the idol, karpuraharati, dipha, dipaharati, naivedyam, distribution of prasadam, etc. in other temples. There are various upacaras, which are also offerings to the deity. There is also scope for singing of prayers, hymns, silent meditation and so on.
Banish poverty
We consider God as Rajadhiraja or the king of all kings and so we offer him many upacaras such as umbrella, camera, musical instruments, vahana and so on, which are all due to a king. The divine presence in our idols, when we worship them, helps us to banish poverty as well as evil. Thus, the idol with divinity which we see in our temples is an object of beauty for us, and worthy of meditation.
If our thoughts are of a high order, then we worship the deity in the above manner, so that we may get supreme happiness. It is with this idea that we perform abhiseka and decorate the idol with ornaments etc. Thus we worship God in these various ways by doing so many upacaras. This kind of worship is possible only in the Hindu religion.
Idol worship is very important in our religion, for the ordinary people.
When we bow before an idol or pray before the deity consecrated in the idol, we never think that it is only a piece of stone, but we think that the deity in the idol is the protector and the root cause of the whole world. Thus, temples help to increase the devotion of a person to God and this devotion helps him to overcome or reduce his sufferings.
Strength of mind
Ordinary people may not have the capacity, and strength of mind to bear their sufferings. But with bhakti or devotion to Ishwara, they can face them, and get also the mental strength to bear them. It is for this purpose that an ordinary person goes to the temple.
He goes there, offers some prayers and then he feels all right. If one person talks about his sufferings to another, the other man will listen to him for some time, but after some time he will start narrating his own sufferings and say that he is having more sufferings than other individuals. So, sharing one’s sufferings with another person, who is also suffering, will not result in the removal of the sufferings.
Endless narrations
Therefore, we go to temple and pray to Him, and we pour out before Him our tale of woe and sufferings. If we go and narrate our sufferings to another man for a long time he will start abusing us after some time, and he may even slap us if we persist with the narration of our tale of woe and suffering.
But when we go to a temple, we can tell God what ever we like, Have you not ears to listen to my prayers? Have you no eyes to see my suffering? and we may ask Him why He is not giving His grace immediately to us. After this prayer, when we come out, we shall have some peace of mind. The more we address God, the more is the peace that we get in our mind.
Saguna worship has got this capacity to give peace of mind because there is caitanya in the idol installed in the temple and after pouring out our suffering before God in the temple, we get some peace of mind. That is why we have the habit of going to the temples.
Of course, some people do not go to a temple at all, but they go to a river or a lonely place and weep there for some time and they then come back with peace of mind. People get peace of mind wherever there is no reaction to what they say. So, a suffering man goes only to those places where there is no reaction to what he says. Source – Wikipedia
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Vedas and animal sacrifice
Thilaka T. Wijeratnem
This has been a vexing question for the Hindus. When non-Hindus saying “How can the Vedas condone this act?” I do feel confused. I meant satisfy myself and those puzzled about this. It was my good fortune that I came across a Brahmin - a Scholar well worsed in the subject. He is one Ananda Iyer. He told me that originally there were only three Vedas - The Rigveda which is the most ancient, The Yadurveda and Samaveda.
Rigveda contains songs and religious hymns. The other two also contain much the same. There was no mention of sacrifice. At a later stage another one called Adharvanaveda was annexed to these.
It seemed this last addition to the Vedas introduced the animal sacrifice. Before going further, I would like to relate an episode from Mahabharatha.
Three chosen
Before the battle at Kunikshetra, the Pandavas wanted, according to tradition, to make a human sacrifice to save the lives of many. The three possible individuals chosen were Krishna, Arjuna and Arjuna’s son Aravan.
As Krishna was of utmost importance, he was left out. Arjuna was the main actor in the battle. So the lot tell upon Aravan. He readily agreed to sacrifice himself to save the lives of many. But he laid down one request.
That he should marry and spend one night with his wife. So it happened one day after his marriage Aravan faced death willingly. No more cases of human sacrifice after this were heard.
The priest I spoke to, is also a well read, well informed and knowledgeable person.
He explained that ordinary people are not asked to sacrifice an animal but the kings. The sacrifice of an animal is to save the lives of many. The king, his soldiers and the citizens.
Hence, the sacrifice, not that any Hindu God in blood thirsty. To whom do they sacrifice? They make a Yaga pit, start a fire, feed it with ghee, rice and chant mantras to save the king and his subjects during war and make a sacrifice of an animal, appealing to the sun, rain, the planets. Brahmin priest - also a scholar told me there is a slogan which goes thus:
Find an elephant to sacrifice. If it’s not available find a horse and so on to smaller animals. They cut a pumpkin and offer to the Gods to help in the war. Even now we see pumpkins cut indicating blood and thrown at functions especially after a house warming function. During the vedic period itself it was known that plants have life.
Refused
Incidentally, when the writer had a well sunk in her compound, the labourers - none of them Hindus - suggested that they should kill a fowl and pour the blood on the side walls to keep them firm.
It was refused saying that no blood should be shed in the compound. If they wanted to have a chicken feed, they could very well have it in their homes. The well is quite well and firm without the blood of a poor creature. So other communities also sacrificed animals at times.
Hindu temples do not have animal sacrifices - perhaps in remote villager, falls deities are worshipped and goats or fouls are sacrificed as part of the rites and rituals.
The people I spoke to about this sacrifice said one life could be lost to save thousands of life. That is why such a sacrifice is done.
Before a king sets out to wage war or to defend his country. Many would have heard of an Asvamedha yaga - where a horse is to take part in the rituals of the yaga.
Communal harmony
Selliah Rajadurai a Minister from Batticaloa relates an incident where he was asked to perform the Asvameda yaga - by a well-known sage.
He was asked to get a white horse with a white patch on its forehead. It was a royal animal it was said. He found one in Pakistan. According to him a yaga pit was formed and 108 items were put in the yaga fire.
He said he had this yaga done to bring peace and communal harmony to this island nation. It was done on the 27th of December 1985 at Kathiresan Temple at Colombo. The horse was not sacrificed as some claim, he said.
Instead, daily they took the horse for a sea bath, decorate it and bring it to the venue. Mantras are chanted and the fire God fed within his favourite item - ghee, rice, paddy, rice flour and so on. The yaga pooja was conducted for 48 days and then the horse was set free.
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Beliefs and doctrines in Hinduism
Hinduism is at once a Philosophy, a religion and a way of life. The term “Hindu” is purely one of geographic origin,referring to a river, Sindhu (the Indus), where the particular religion-as also the language, arts, agriculture and civic systems-synthesised with the ancient Indus Basin civilisation of around five thousand years ago, into its present form.
Lord Shiva
“Brahmanism”, the attainment of the Universal Soul, the Brahman, or Vidya Dharma, is a nearer description of the religion itself. (Whence, the name Brahmins arrogated by the priestly class to themselves).
It accepts the reality that there are varying intellectual and spiritual levels in people’s and all cannot take the same path; it therefore offers different approaches - to philosophers, poets, mystics, men of action, intellectuals, or men of simple faith. Such persons may, therefore, be guided by his or her own individual spiritual level and experience and will, if he pursues his path with fervent intensity, attain the same goal.
Thus, its espousal as outstanding, the words spoken by Lord Krishna: “Whosoever follows any faith and worships me, under whatsoever denomination, in whatsoever form, with steadfastness, his faith shall I indeed reinforce”. Paraphrased for today, it may read: Come to me as a Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Moslem, Jew or Sikh. I shall make you a better Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Moslem, Jew, Sikh.
Its fundamental beliefs have (a) no part of superstitions and superstitious practices that go as religion; and (b) no concept of ‘competing’ religions. “Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudda Vidanthi”. All is God, is One. Sages call that by different names.
Doctrines
For all its wide range, the Tenets of Hinduism are clear and precise.
The Absolute Reality is simply “Nirguna Brahman,” “of Being,” Immanent, transcendent, outside the limits of the material, above time and space, Nirguna - without shape or form, without beginning and end, not male not female, so “Tat” (that, the impersonal). “Om Tat Sat” - Om, that which exists (‘Om’, the all embracing symbol). The Atman is simply the ‘unmanifest’ Brahman within finite being.
Lord Ganesh
To ordinary mortals, the Absolute is translated as “Saguna Brahman”, of “Becoming”, that is, with Attributes (of Nirgunan, Ishwaran, Easan) used as objects as and means of devotion; and given “form”.
Basic concept
A basic concept of Saguna Brahman is that of the Trinity-Trimurti of Ishwara as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer (or Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva); and their female aspects as Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati (the last also Prakriti consort of Purusha the husband, or Shakti). The offspring of Shiva and Parvati - Ganesha, Kartigeya with their other names - are equally expressions of several attributes or qualities. All these names put together are legion, picturesque and meaningful and recur in the personal names of the millions in India and South and Southeast Asia.
Cosmic concepts
The cosmic concepts (a) of Shakti (primal energy), Anu (‘atom’), and Sabda Brahman (the vibrations of the universe) along with that of (b) the Trimurti, provide basis for understanding of Reality, and for a ‘science fact’ which Hinduism held, that this universe will end at a given future time (the Hindu Kalpa) and a new universe will emerge.... and repeat itself; that all forms of matter are simply transmutations of Shaktim ‘Anu’ and Sabdam, and the rest is Mayam, ‘Illusion’. The apartment separate reality called matter will ultimately get translated back as non-matter, like the Atman, part of the Infinite. Source – Wikipedia
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Pilgrimage and festivals
Pilgrimage is not mandatory in Hinduism, though many adherents undertake them Hindus recognise several Indian holy cities, including Allahabad, Haridwar,
A festival
Varanasi, and Vrindavan. Notable temple cities include Puri, which hosts a major Vaishnava Jagannath temple and Rath Yatra celebration; Tirumala - Tirupati, home to the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple; and Katra, home to the Vaishno Devi temple. The four holy sites Puri, Rameswaran, Dwarka, and Badrinath (or alternatively the Himalayan towns of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri) compose the Char Dham (four abodes) pilgrimage circuit. The Kumbh Mela (the “pitcher festival”) is one of the holiest of Hindu pilgrimages that is held every four years; the location is rotated among Allahabad, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. Another important set of pilgrimages are the Shakti Peethas, where the Mother Goddess is worshipped, the two principal ones being Kalighat and Kamakhya.
Hinduism has many festivals throughout the year. The Hindu calendar usually prescribe their dates. The festivals typically celebrate events from Hindu mythology, often coinciding with seasonal changes. There are festivals which are primarily celebrated by specific sects or in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent. Some widely observed Hindu festivals are Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Ram Navami, Krishna Janmastami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussera, Durga Puja and Diwali. Source - Wikipedia
The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
அருள்மிகு பாஸ்கரகுருக்கள், காம் காமாட்சி அம்பாள் ஆலயம், ஜேர்மனி! உம் தொண்டும்,புகழும் வாழ்க ! வாழ்கவே !! பல்லாண்டு வாழ்க! வாழ்கவே!!
அருள்மிகு பாஸ்கரகுருக்கள், காம் காமாட்சி அம்பாள் ஆலயம், ஜேர்மனி !
உம் தொண்டும்,புகழும் வாழ்க ! வாழ்கவே !! பல்லாண்டு வாழ்க! வாழ்கவே!!
என்றும் வாழும் எங்கள் ஆலயம்! ஜெர்மன் காம் நகர அம்பாள் தமிழ்ஆலயம்!!
அன்று தொட்டு அருமையாக நாம் வணங்கும் அன்னையே!எம்மை காப்பவள்!!
மன்று காத்த அன்னையே! மனிதர் போற்றும் அன்னையே!!ஆதி பராசக்தியே!!!
இன்றும் உலகில் நீதியை காக்க வந்த தேவியே! என்றும் உனது ஆட்சியே!!!
சைவத்தமிழ்மரபிலே!இந்துஉலககொள்கையில்நம்பிவந்தவர் நம் பாஸ்கரகுருக்களே!
வைபவங்கள்,சாத்திரம்,வழிமுறைகள்,பூசைகள்,மந்திரங்கள்,அர்ச்சனைகள் யாவுமே,
கைவந்த கலைகளாய் கவனமாக போற்றியே! கடமையுடன்,கண்ணியமாய்,காத்து!
எவ்வழிதான் நல்வழியோ !அவ்வழியே நம்வழி!அமைதிவழியே! தமிழர்வழி என!
ஆணித்தரமாய்எண்ணியே! அருமையானவழியிலே!அம்பாள்வழியில் நடந்திட்டார்!!
காணி,நிலம்வேண்டும் பராசக்தி!கோவில்,புலம்வேண்டும்!நம்மவர்வழிபடவே என!
ஏணிகொண்டு ஏறினார்!நம்மவரும் பின் தொடர்ந்தார்!உலகமக்கள் பின்தொடர்வார்!!
நாணிநின்றால்எதுவும்நடைபெறுமோநல்லுலகில்சைவஆலயங்கள் தான்வருமோ!
நம்மிளைஞர் நல்வழியில் செல்வதற்கு இவ்வாலயங்கள் வழிகாட்டுமன்றோ !!
எம்மவரின்அமைதிக்கு!ஒற்றுமைக்கு!ஆக்கபூர்வமுயற்சிக்கும்!அறிவுகூர்மைக்கும்!
உம்மவரின் முயற்சியும்!முன்னோடித்தனமும்!உழைப்பும்!உறுதியும்!உதவியன்றோ!
எம்மவர் என்றும்நன்றியும்!விசுவாசமும்!பற்றும்!பாசமும்!பண்பும்உடையவரன்றோ!
இணுவை நல்லையா சண்முகப்பிரபு- தலைவர்,
நோர்வே - திராம்மன் இந்து கலாசார மன்றம்-தொ.பே.0047 -91784271
http ://worldtamilhinduforum . blogspot . com
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Monday, February 8, 2010
திட்டமிடப்பட்ட இனப் படுகொலையை தொடர்ந்து இன்று இந்துக்கலாசாரத்தை சிதைக்கத் திட்டமிடுகிறார்கள்!!!
Bas Baskaran to chelvdurai
அன்றைய திட்டமிடப்பட்ட இனப் படுகொலையை தொடர்ந்து
இன்று இந்துக்கலாசாரத்தை சிதைக்கத் திட்டமிடுகிறார்கள்!
அன்று மனித குடியிருப்புகளை அழித்த பொது பாராது இருந்த கடவுளின்
குடியிருப்பகளை இன்று மனிதர்கள்தான் காப்பாற்ற வேண்டும்!
ஐயோ கடவுளே! உனக்கும் சோதனையா?
27 Saiva temples, monuments affected by planned road widening, ACHC complains
[ Saturday, 06 February 2010, 02:07.09 PM GMT +05:30 ]
All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) expressed deep concern over Sri Lanka's planned widening of the Jaffna-Kankesanthurai high way from Jaffna town to KKS as the plan would lead to the destruction and desecration of twenty seven Saiva temples and several historical cultural monuments along both sides of the highway, sources in Jaffna said. Officials of ACHC have protested the planned road upgrade to Northern Provincial Governor G.A. Chandrasiri.
A delegation comprising ACHC President V. Kailayapillai, General Secretary Kandiah Neelakandan, and Ms.V. Kailayapillai, Treasurer of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society, met the Governor G.A. Chandrasiri at the latter’s office in Colombo Friday and handed over a memorandum.
Later ACHC issued a statement regarding the discussion the group had with Governor Chandrasiri.
The statement states that Jaffna Hindu and Tamil community are shocked over the widening of Jaffna-KKS highway and they have requested the ACHC to take this matter with the high authorities and to save their cultural heritage in the peninsula.
About twenty seven Saiva temples and several cultural monuments and identities located along both sides of the highway would be demolished and desecrated if the widening is taken place without consulting the intellectuals and Jaffna university community, the statement added.
The ACHC delegation urged the Governor to intervene and obtain the views of the Jaffna university community and other intellectuals in the peninsula before implementing the widening project of the Jaffna-KKS highway. Jaffna intellectuals are reported to have alternative proposals for the widening of the highway, the statement further said.
Hence, the ACHC requests the Governor to take a wise decision on this subject without harming the feelings of Hindu Tamil community, the statement concluded.
அன்றைய திட்டமிடப்பட்ட இனப் படுகொலையை தொடர்ந்து
இன்று இந்துக்கலாசாரத்தை சிதைக்கத் திட்டமிடுகிறார்கள்!
அன்று மனித குடியிருப்புகளை அழித்த பொது பாராது இருந்த கடவுளின்
குடியிருப்பகளை இன்று மனிதர்கள்தான் காப்பாற்ற வேண்டும்!
ஐயோ கடவுளே! உனக்கும் சோதனையா?
27 Saiva temples, monuments affected by planned road widening, ACHC complains
[ Saturday, 06 February 2010, 02:07.09 PM GMT +05:30 ]
All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) expressed deep concern over Sri Lanka's planned widening of the Jaffna-Kankesanthurai high way from Jaffna town to KKS as the plan would lead to the destruction and desecration of twenty seven Saiva temples and several historical cultural monuments along both sides of the highway, sources in Jaffna said. Officials of ACHC have protested the planned road upgrade to Northern Provincial Governor G.A. Chandrasiri.
A delegation comprising ACHC President V. Kailayapillai, General Secretary Kandiah Neelakandan, and Ms.V. Kailayapillai, Treasurer of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society, met the Governor G.A. Chandrasiri at the latter’s office in Colombo Friday and handed over a memorandum.
Later ACHC issued a statement regarding the discussion the group had with Governor Chandrasiri.
The statement states that Jaffna Hindu and Tamil community are shocked over the widening of Jaffna-KKS highway and they have requested the ACHC to take this matter with the high authorities and to save their cultural heritage in the peninsula.
About twenty seven Saiva temples and several cultural monuments and identities located along both sides of the highway would be demolished and desecrated if the widening is taken place without consulting the intellectuals and Jaffna university community, the statement added.
The ACHC delegation urged the Governor to intervene and obtain the views of the Jaffna university community and other intellectuals in the peninsula before implementing the widening project of the Jaffna-KKS highway. Jaffna intellectuals are reported to have alternative proposals for the widening of the highway, the statement further said.
Hence, the ACHC requests the Governor to take a wise decision on this subject without harming the feelings of Hindu Tamil community, the statement concluded.
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